As a child of the late-1970s, I grew up gawking at the cars of the ’70s and 1980s, so it was the simple, angular (some might say uninspired and ugly) designs of the period that activated my car nut gene.Continue reading →

This may come as a surprise, but I was really looking forward to driving the 2011 Yaris. Now before you write in to AJAC challenging my qualifications as an automotive journalist, let me be more clear: I had the opportunity to drive the Yaris after a week behind the wheel of a Honda CR-Z hybrid, a car that, despite its sporting pretensions, I drove as if I was burning the last tank of fuel on the planet.Continue reading →

We recently tested a Nissan Juke SL AWD with Nissan’s new “torque-vectoring” all-wheel drive system that transfers power both front to rear and side to side at the rear wheels for improved traction and handling – a similar system to Acura’s Super Handling All-wheel Drive. This is an excellent safety feature for driving on wet, icy or snowy roads, and hopefully, this technology will migrate to other Nissan vehicles as well.Continue reading →

With the mid-sized crossover segment hotter than a two-dollar pistol, it’s pretty easy for vehicles to get lost in the shuffle as the latest offerings get all the media attention and advertising dollars. The hot commodities for 2011 are the new Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and refreshed Ford Edge. Last year the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain basked in the limelight.Continue reading →

If the idea of a $70,000 Hyundai sounds too odd for words, just remember: there was a time when a high-end Toyota sounded pretty strange as well, until people got used to the idea of Lexus.Continue reading →

The last thing an auto manufacturer wants is for potential buyers – that is, anyone with a driver’s licence and a bank account – to be unaware of its products. While most driving Canadians know about Mitsubishi, many are not familiar with the Endeavor SUV.Continue reading →